Drivers spend almost a year of their lives searching for a parking space, according to a new survey.

The average motorist loses the equivalent of more than six days a year circling streets and car parks looking for a spot, the poll of 9,000 drivers found.

Based on a motorist's driving "life" lasting about 50 years, the lost time adds up to 7,600 hours, or more than 45 weeks, the poll by parking company NCP found.

Londoners lose the most time, spending an average of 182 hours a year, or more than 54 weeks in a motoring lifetime, in the search for a space.

This compares with the national average of 152 hours a year.

The next longest lost time is endured by motorists in Birmingham, followed by Glasgow and Newcastle.